According to state records, the Pittsburgh bridge that collapsed early Friday, injuring ten people, was in terrible condition and was not included in the federal infrastructure package.
The Forbes Avenue bridge over Frick Park, a main thoroughfare for morning commuters heading downtown, collapsed just hours before President Joe Biden was set to be in town to tout his administration’s $500 billion infrastructure project.
Under the infrastructure plan, Pennsylvania would get more than $327 million in federal financing for bridge maintenance and replacement, with roughly $49 million going to “off-system,” or local, bridges like the Forbes Avenue bridge.
However, the bridge is not one of the roadway and bridge projects in the state’s 2021 transportation improvement programme that will get federal assistance.
Officials from the city have not stated why the 1970 bridge was not included in the federal infrastructure financing list.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the 447-foot steel rigid frame bridge had an overall 4 rating and was in bad condition. The scale runs from 0 to 9, with the highest number obtaining an excellent.
Darryl Jones, the chief of the Pittsburgh Fire Department, said his department has had no previous complaints about the bridge, which would have caused fire workers to reroute to emergency situations.
The bridge received a pair of 4s for its deck and superstructure, but a 6 for the substructure, according to state transportation statistics.
Officials are looking into what caused the bridge to collapse, according to a press release from the city of Pittsburgh. The National Transportation Safety Board is also sent a team to the location, according to a tweet from the agency.
PennDOT statistics show that 175 of Allegheny County’s 1,580 bridges are in bad condition. Pittsburgh is home to 29 of them. The state owns three of the 29 and maintains them. The city owns and maintains twenty-one of them, including the Fern Hollow Bridge, thus any renovations must be paid for by the city.
The decaying structure, according to Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, highlights the need for more bridge financing.
Under the infrastructure plan, Pennsylvania would get more than $327 million in federal financing for bridge maintenance and replacement, with roughly $49 million going to “off-system,” or local, bridges like the Forbes Avenue bridge.
